Late lunch at the Taaleňa Restaurant

Hungry for lunch, the kids and my wife have been rather fidgety along the trip from Nasugbu to Tagaytay City last July 1. We have gone to a decent eating place called Green ATS on several occasions already so I thought it was time to try out something different. Risking the ire of my famished family members I decided that we check out one of these restaurants that we often passed by along the Tagaytay ridge for a new gastronomic experience and possibly a great new scenic view of the famous Taal Volcano.

On both accounts, I was right. The delayed lunch was worth our while.

The name of the place couldn’t be more appropriate - the Taaleňa Restaurant. Quite near the Tagaytay Rotonda (around 800 meters away), the Our Lady of Lourdes Church and the Canossa Retreat House, it rests at the very heart of the Tagaytay landscape. With an unobstructed view of the volcano, the restaurant is housed in a Spanish-style manor called Casa Taal which is said to have the capacity to handle as many as 600 people. Aside from an impressive view of the entire Taal Lake and Volcano Island with the Highlands peaks, from its vantage point you can also observe Mounts Makiling, Malarayat, Makulot and the Batulao peaks including some areas of Balayan Bay.

Five years in existence we were told, with good food and a captivating view of the famous volcano, I wonder how we could have passed by such a pleasant site so many times in the past. It must have been the thought of expensiveness that kept us away from places like Taaleňa, a consideration not exactly unfounded.

Joshua and Faith roam the beautiful surroundings

Spacious venue for weddings, baptismal and other special occasions

Restaurant facade facing the lake

Finally...lunch!

But relatively higher prices aside, the food we ordered was delicious! We couldn’t eat in Tagaytay without having ‘bulalo’ so we ordered two bowls of their version of the ‘Bulalong Batangas’. My family and I loved the rich warm beefy soup. Another Taaleňa specialty we ordered was their take of the ‘Crispy Tawilis’. The fast vanishing sardine-like fish from Taal Lake was really crunchy, enough to make you eat the whole thing. Of course, dipping it in spicy vinegar would make it a more pleasurable experience! The pork ‘sisig’ was also tasty but quite sweet for my taste. As appetizer, we had an order of ‘sizzling mushrooms’ which I felt with its golden brown gravy were cooked perfectly!

The long time recipes used by the restaurant are said to come from the De Leon Clan of Lemery and Taal, Batangas famous for their discriminating taste in food and culinary know-how.

Native food worth the long trip

With the restaurant all to ourselves, a singing duet approached us while we were munching on our lunch meals, singing our requested ABBA songs like ‘Fernando’ and ‘Chiquita’ with veteran precision. It was a welcomed distraction though under more regular circumstances, I would more willingly prefer to enhance my eating experience with just the stunning ambiance, of say…the Taal Lake.

Enjoying the stunning ambiance of Taal Volcano

At any rate, it would suffice to say that we’ll definitely be back to try out their other specialties.

Taaleňa Restaurant is located at Casa Taal, Km. 54, Silang Crossing West, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars